People are being encouraged to support their community by signing up to help clear litter from the streets.

Gravesham council wants volunteers for the Great British Spring Clean which is run nationally by the charity Keep Britain Tidy.

The green event will be held across the borough from March 21 to April 6 with volunteers tasked with picking up at least one bag of litter.

The local authority says although its waste crews collect 8.5 tonnes of litter every day, the sheer volume of discarded rubbish remains a challenge.

Gravesham already has the Street Champions’ volunteer litter pickers who go out to make sure roads and green areas are kept as tidy as possible.

One of them is Robert Standing, who said: “I have so far collected 15 bags of litter around the area, but please do bin your litter.

“Don’t think it’s someone else’s job. Please take pride in your local community and make where you live a cleaner and better place.”

Cabinet member for operational services, Cllr Emma Morley, praised the Street Champions.

She said: “We are blessed in Gravesham to have hundreds of Street Champions, local people who take pride in where they live and give their own time to keep it clear of litter.

“We value their support which, when coupled with the 8.5 tonnes of litter a day collected by our own waste crews, really makes a difference.

“The Great British Spring Clean is a chance for others to join them in the battle against litter.

“I hope as many as possible will take part and will be inspired to sign up as Street Champions and keep their corner of Gravesham pristine.”

People keen on supporting the campaign and organise litter picks should make contact by emailing street.champions@gravesham.gov.uk.

The council is also hosting an action day at Windmill Hill on Monday, March 24 from 10.30am to noon where volunteers can join forces for a community clean-up.

During the Great British Spring Clean 2024, volunteers went on more than 70 litter picks and collected 250 sacks of litter.

For more information and to sign up, visit bit.ly/graveshamclean2025

According to Keep Britain Tidy, last year 97% of participants agreed that they felt they had made a difference to their local area while 84% felt more pride for their local area.

Keep Britain Tidy’s chief executive Allison Ogden-Newton said: “We are so grateful for the game-changing support from Gravesham council.

“The Great British Spring Clean is a fantastic way for councils to support residents to really show their pride in where they live, and connect with like-minded people, while taking serious and immediate action to protect the environment on their doorstep.

“During this year’s campaign, we are highlighting that the environment belongs to everyone, and that everyone is welcome to join in with our activities and celebrate the 10th Great British Spring Clean.

“We are humbled to see our army of #LitterHeroes volunteers carrying out these acts of kindness to make the planet a cleaner, safer place for our future generations.”

You can get involved in the Great British Spring Clean by pledging at: www.keepbritaintidy.org/gbspringclean and using the hashtags #GBSpringClean #LoveWhereYouLive